ATA 2013 Day 1

ATA 2013 Day 1

The night before the opening of the Archery Trade Association Trade Show, I typically sleep like a child the night before Christmas anxiously waiting for Santa's arrival; I look forward to the arrival of the archery industry's newest products. The ATA show is a gathering of who's who in the archery industry, and most companies will use the 2013 ATA show to launch their new product lines. Like the child combing the aisles of Toys R Us weeks before Christmas, I walk miles each day exploring all that the world of archery has to offer. This year will be no different. My favorite place to linger is the various shooting lanes scattered throughout the perimeter of the show. \n\nThe Morning Report\nThe 2013 ATA Show opened with BowTech rocking the crowd with performances by three up-and-coming country bands, followed by the unveiling of their custom bike from Orange County Choppers and their 2013 product line. \n\nForty minutes after BowTech finished rocking the crowd, Robinson Outdoor Products unleashed its new product line with a full runway modeling show. It put on display its new 2013 garment and safety line of products along with a slew of other products. They have a brand new concept in safety harnesses called the Spider Web. It is a pair of camo bibs that has a harness fully integrated into it. Also new for them this year is their Trinity Scent Blocker hunting apparel. \n\nCarbon Express proudly launched its two new series of arrows: the new thin diameter Pile Driver, designed to compete with the likes of Victory and Easton (who have owned this part of the market until now), and the new Red Streak line, which is a step up from their already popular Blue Streak line. \n\nA newcomer to ATA show this year is Stevens Archery. They released four new bows this year: the INCEPTION, the PREVAILER, and the INTRIGUE. The company's motto \"Draw Your Conclusions\" has never been more fitting. Their bows have a silky smooth draw, and no hand shock. If you shoot their bows, your will be impressed for sure. \nAlso new on the bow block this year is Expedition Archery. They too are producing three bows. Their new bows are the Explorer, the X-Ring VI and the X-Ring VII. These bows range in speed from 338 fps to a blistering 348 fps. Like Stevens, they have a silky smooth draw with no hand shock. A great manufacturing point to note is that \nExpedition Archery CNC's all their own parts in their own facility. \n\nThe final stop on my tour was at the Wicked Tree Gear display. If you like the Wicked Hand Saw, then you will surely love their new Wicked Tough Pole Saw. It comes in two models: a six foot version and a 12 foot version. The six foot version closes down to 19 inches and weighs only 2.5 pounds, while the 12 foot version condenses down to 32 inches and weighs in at 3.9 pounds. \n\nCheck back later today for a recap of the afternoon of Day 1. \n